Beam member of concrete forming apparatus having a supported nail strip

ABSTRACT

A metal secondary beam used to support sheathing in concrete forming apparatus has a support structure for a nailer that is substantially open to allow concrete bleed water, to readily drain away thereby preventing deterioration of the nailer due to extended contact of water with the nailer. In a preferred embodiment, the support structure is a series of bent tabs lanced in the beam member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to beam members of concrete forming apparatus and, more specifically, to a beam member of concrete forming apparatus having a channel in which is received a nailing strip that is supported on tabs formed in the side walls of the channel.

Concrete forming apparatus is in wide use in the construction of buildings, bridges, and other concrete structures. A common system for forming concrete structures uses a plurality of modular form components that are adapted to be assembled into a wide variety of configurations to conform to virtually any architectural requirement. Such forming apparatus components are typically made of metal so that they are strong enough to support the heavy weight of poured concrete and durable so that the components can be reused many times.

In horizontal concrete construction, plywood is one of the commonly used sheathing materials for covering a system of support joists. The connection between the plywood and the support joist is critical for providing stability to the forming system. In the past, when concrete forms were constructed from wood, the plywood was nailed to wood support joists to secure the sheathing and the joists into an integral, stable forming system. As form manufacturers started to use metals in formwork, wood strips were added to metal joists to provide a “nailer” for the plywood sheathing. Wood nailers were attached to the top of steel beams and barjoists. Joists or beams made of aluminum were extruded with a trough that received the wood nailer. Nails or screws are used to secure the plywood sheathing to the nailer of the support joist.

The wood nailers attached to the top of steel beams or bar joists are exposed and easily damaged during handling and use of the beams and joists. The extruded aluminum beams protect the wood strip in the trough from external damage by surrounding it on three sides with aluminum. However, the trough trapped concrete bleed water around the wood nailer and resulted in rapid deterioration of the nailer. Accordingly, there is a need for a metal beam member of concrete forming systems that provides a nailer for securing sheathing by the use of nails, screws, and the like that is durable, reusable, and long-lived.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists of a metal beam member for use in concrete forming systems. The beam member includes a channel formed in its upper surface which receives a nailer for use in securing sheathing to the beam member by nails, screws, or similar fasteners that penetrate the sheathing and are embedded in the nailer. The channel of the beam member has a pair of opposing, parallel side walls. A plurality of nailer support tabs are formed in the side walls and extend into the channel to provide support for the nailer. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of holes are formed in the side walls of the channel above and between the tabs where crews or similar fasteners are used to attach the nailer to the beam member. Because the tabs do not form a three-walled trough that holds water, any concrete bleed water or other water present will pass easily through the channel and not be held in contact with the nailer.

In the preferred embodiment, the nailer is made of either wood or plastic suitable for the attachment of sheathing by nails or screws. Polyethylene is a plastic with properties particularly suited for use as a nailer in the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a metal beam member for concrete forming apparatus that includes a nailer that is protected from external damage during handling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal beam member for concrete forming apparatus that includes a nailer that is not subject to deterioration through water trapped around the nailer.

These and other objects of the invention will be made apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of this specification, the associated drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a concrete forming apparatus in which a beam member of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is being used to secure and support sheathing.

FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of a beam member of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is side elevational view of the beam member of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the beam member taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Illustrated in FIG. 1, generally at 10, is a concrete forming apparatus constructed for supporting and forming concrete thereon during the construction of a concrete structure. A secondary beam member 12 is supported on a pair of primary beam members 14, which in turn are supported on vertical beam members 16. Sheathing 18 is attached to the beam member 12 to provide stability to the concrete forming apparatus 10 and to form a surface upon which plastic concrete will be formed.

The beam member 12 includes a pair of three-sided channel or side members 20 and 22, each of which has a web section 24 and a pair of flanges 26 and 28. The channel members are arranged in a spaced-apart, back-to-back relationship (FIGS. 2 and 4). A pair of end plates 30 and 32 are attached to the channel members 20 and 22 at opposite ends thereof and secure the channel members 20 and 22. A nailer 34 is received in the open space between the channel members 20 and 22.

Each of the channel members 20 and 22 are formed with a plurality of flanged openings 36 (FIGS. 2-4) formed in the web section 24 that serve to lighten the beam member 12 by the removal of material and also provide strength and rigidity through the flanged perimeter. Lanced in the channel members 20 and 22 are a plurality of arcuate slots 38 arranged in two rows, one above and one below the flanged openings 36. The arcuate slots 38 define tabs 40 that are bent inwardly by approximately 90° so that tabs 40 extend toward the opposite channel member when the beam member 12 is assembled (FIG. 4). The plurality of tabs 40 in each row of the two channel members 20 and 22 thereby form a support structure on which the nailer 34 is supported inside the largely open channel between the two channel members 20 and 22 so that its top surface is substantially flush with the top surface of the channel members 20 and 22 as defined by the flanges 26. As best seen in FIG. 3, a row of holes 42 are formed in the channel members 20 and 22 between the arcuate slots 38. Fasteners, such as screws 44 are inserted through the holes 42 and into the nailer 34 to secure the nailer to the beam member 12 (FIG. 4).

The nailer 4 is preferably made of 1×2 dimensional (¾″×1-½″) lumber or by a similarly sized piece of polyethylene. Both materials provide a suitable substrate for the attachment of sheathing to the beam member 12 by the use of nails, screws or similar fasteners. If wood is used for the nailer 34, it will be appreciated that the support structure for the nailer 34 proved the by the rows of tabs 40 is a substantially open structure in that it will allow water to flow easily past the nailer 34. Note that since the beam member 12 is provided with two rows of tabs 40 and holes 42, the nailer 34 may be attached to the beam member 12 either in the “top” position as illustrated in FIG. 4 or in the “bottom” position, although of course the beam member 12 will be oriented during use to have the nailer 34 at the surface to which the sheathing 18 is to be attached.

The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present inventions. The foregoing embodiments and the methods described herein may vary based on the ability, experience, and preference of those skilled in the art. Merely listing the steps of the method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method. The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the claims are so limited. Those skilled in the art that have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention. 

1. A metal beam member for use in concrete forming systems, comprising: (a) a pair of longitudinal side members forming a channel and a top surface; (b) a nailer received in the channel; and (c) an open support structure formed in the side members for supporting the nailer flush with the top surface.
 2. A beam member as defined in claim 1, wherein in the open support structure is comprised of a plurality of tabs that extend into the channel.
 3. A beam member as defined in claim 2, wherein the tabs are arranged in a row spaced below the top surface.
 4. A beam member as defined in claim 1, wherein the pair of side members are arranged back-to-back in a spaced relation.
 5. A beam member as defined in claim 4, further comprising a pair of end plates secured at opposite ends of the longitudinal side members.
 6. A metal beam member for use in concrete forming systems, comprising: (a) a pair of longitudinal side members arranged back-to-back and spaced apart to form a channel; (b) flanges of the side members that form a top support surface; (c) a plurality of tabs formed in each of the side members and extended into the channel and arranged in a row spaced below the top support surface; and (d) a nailer received in the channel and supported on the tabs with an exposed face flush with the top support surface. 